‘Where are traffic wardens patrolling and why?

9:13am Monday 13th February 2006

By Benedict Moore Bridger

AN investigation into Ealing Council's parking services has shown that many residents are dissatisfied with the service they are getting, and feel they are being targeted to make money.

Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Gary Malcolm published the report after gaining feedback from residents and businesses in Ealing concerning the management of parking issues, from Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs), to ticketing procedure and customer service levels.

Cllr Malcolm said residents in certain areas felt specifically targeted because of their CPZ status, whereas other streets were left unchecked.

He explained: "I want to get figures to find out exactly where wardens are going and what their reasons are for patrolling specific areas."

"One way is for attendants to have digital cameras which will reduce their errors," he said. On some occasions residents reported they were "let off" a ticket after a complaint was made. And in the same situation on other occasions a complaint led to no cancellation of a ticket.

One resident received six parking tickets for the same offence because he did not realise that he had broken the law. Cllr Malcolm said: "This was because of the legalistic language used in the letter. If he had understood it or had someone explain it more clearly he would have paid the first fine and not got the others."

Joe Tavernier, head of the street environment department at Ealing Council, said he had not seen Cllr Malcom's report and was unable to comment.

Cllr Malcolm said: "Lib Dems here receive many complaints from residents about parking issues. My investigation has shown that the council needs to sort things out."

And now it has been revealed the department for street environment is factoring in gaining an extra £750,000 through fines, if their budget proposal is accepted at a full council meeting next month.

Cllr Malcolm added: "By putting this plan to recoup money through extra tickets and other traffic fines in the middle of a budget report it makes you think they are doing it simply to make money, which they should not do and not for honest congestion-relieving changes."

But the council reassured The Times traffic attendants were not working on incentives, and the figures were a reflection of what they realistically thought they could recoup in the next year, not quotas or targets.

Cllr Ray Wall, cabinet member for transport and planning policy, said: "These proposals are among a range of measures being considered.

"However, it is important to note these proposals are about enforcing the laws and by doing so, improving conditions for motorists on our roads. We have all had to suffer long traffic jams and frustration because someone has blocked off a yellow box junction. We have all seen someone zoom past us by illegally cutting through a bus lane.

"By increasing enforcement, life should become much more stress-free for the majority of us law-abiding drivers. Motorists who flout the rules of the road not only create confusion for other drivers but also endanger the lives of pedestrians."

Cllr Malcolm said he would be pressing the council to make changes so residents could get "a better deal".